Clothes washing machine



Oct. 29, 1935. P GELDHQF 2,019,076

(51.;OTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 1 932 2 Sheets-Sheet l r f4, \VI'I I v TUB 5 I} 1 =52 .WITNESSMU J 3% 16 BY WJW MW ATI'DRNEYE I Oct. 29, 1935. P. E. GELDHOF 2,019,076

CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B an:

Wnmzss ATI'EHN EYE Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Application November 4, 1932, Serial No. 641,243

12 Claims.

This invention relates to clothes washing machines and more particularly to a novel means for relieving the operating parts of the machine from the stresses and strains occasioned during the clothes washing operation.

In washing machines of the reciprocable plunger type, the washing elements are usually supported from the plunger at an appreciable distance from the plunger. This construction causes a considerable bending strain on the plunger during operation when the clothes to be washed are unevenly distributed in the clothes washing vat. Further, a considerable torsional stress is produced on the plunger if means are provided for rotating the plunger while it is being reciprocated, and the clothes should have become entangled on the washing elements or their supporting arms. These forces, together with the force of impact of the washing elements with the water and clothes, and the strain caused by removal of the washing elements from the water are-transmitted to the driving elements of the washing machine.

An object of my invention is to overcome the aforementioned difiiculties and provide a washer of the reciprocable plunger type in which means are provided for minimizing the strains on the driving mechanism occasioned during the operation of the machine.

Another object of my invention is the provision' of means for preventing damage to the washing elements themselves and to the arms by which the washing elements are secured to the reciprocable plunger.

My invention further contemplates the provision of means for decreasing the stresses and strains on the operating elements whereby the life of the machine is materially lengthened, whereby the machine is rendered less subject to the need of repairs, and whereby a more efi'icient operation is secured.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent from a perusal of the specification, taken in connection with the drawings in which:

Figure l is a plan view of my washing machine, with a portion of the cover broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical view partially in section, showing the washing elements and the driving means therefor.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the clothes washing elements and the means provided for the support thereof.

Figure 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 51s a partial sectional view showing the driving connection for the plunger.

Figure 6 is a view taken on the line 66, Figure 5, in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 7 is a view showing another embodiment of my invention in which the plunger is rotated as well as reciprocated.

Figure 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a sectional view showing the means 10 for rotating the plunger.

My invention, while it is adapted to be used with any type of machine in which a reciprocable plunger or shaft I I is mounted in a clothes washing vat or tub I2, has been shown in use 15 in a type of machine in which the clothes washing elements I3 are cup-shaped and are secured to the reciprocable plunger II by means of arms I4. The plunger I I projects through a central opening I6 in the bottom of the vat I2, and a flanged sleeve I1 concentric with the plunger II serves to guide and hold the plunger II substantially rigid. To prevent seepage of the washing fluid along the plunger, packing is inserted between the plunger and the sleeve I1 and held 25 in place by a packing nut I5. The lower end of the sleeve I1 also projects through the bottom of the vat I2 and is threaded for receiving a flanged nut I8. Leakage around the plunger and sleeve is prevented by means of packing I9. The plunger I I and the sleeve I1 also project through a housing 2I which serves partially to enclose the operating mechanism for the plunger.

The operating mechanism for the plunger comprises a motor 22,. the shaft of which is operatively connected to a crank arm 23. The crank arm 23 is pivotally secured to a pitma'n 24 at 2B and the pitman, in turn, is pivotally connected to an operating lever 21 at 28. The operating lever 21 is pivotally secured to a link 29, 40 which, in turn, is pivoted at 30 to a bracket 3| riveted or otherwise secured to the housing 2|.

A link 32 pivoted to a gear case 33 and the operating lever 21 at 34, serves to cause the inner end of the operating lever 21 to reciprocate in a substantially vertical line. It will be apparent that the rotation of the motor 22 will cause the operating lever 21 to oscillate. A spring 36 secured to a gear casing 33 and to the operating lever 21, normally urges the operating lever 21 in an upward direction whereby the load on the motor is decreased during the upward movement of the lever 21.

As more clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6, the operating lever 21 is bifurcated to provide arms 31, the ends of which are apertured to receive freely rotatable therein, pins 38. The pins 38 project inwardly to engage a collar or trunnion 39 having a central bore M to accommodate the plunger II and having a central bore 42 to accommodate the pins 38.

In machines of the prior art, the trunnion 39, although rotatable on the plunger, was not movable longitudinally thereon so that when the washing elements I3 were forced downwardly into contact with the clothes, a considerable shock. was thrown on the driving mechanism. A similar shock, although less in degree, was caused when the washing elements I3 were moved upwardly out of contact with the washing fluid due to the suction effect of the cups. To overcome thesedifficulties, the plunger of my invention is substantially freely floating, being supported by the operating lever 21 through the trunnion 39 which is freely movable on the plunger H.

The oscillation of the lever 21 is transmitted to the plunger II through springs 43 and 44, the

upper spring 43 removing the shock from the driving mechanism when the washing elements are removed from the washing fluid and the lower spring 44 removing the shock from the driving mechanism when the washing elements I3 are brought into contact with the clothes and washing fluid.

The spring 43 is confined by means of backing plates 46, the upper one of which presses against an enlarged portion 41 formed on the plunger II, while the lower spring is confined by backing plates 48, the lower one of which contacts with a nut 49 threaded on the plunger II.

In order further to relieve the operating mechanism from the stresses and strains set up during the washing operation, the arms I4 are secured to the plunger II by means of a non-rigid connection generally indicated by the numeral 5I. This non-rigid connection may be formed by a sleeve 52 which surrounds the plunger at its upper extremity and'is secured rigidly thereto by means of a pin 53 which passes through an aperture formed in the plunger II. A second pin 55 contacting with a fiat spot on the pin 53 serves to retain the pin 53 in position and prevent its complete removal.

A second sleeve 56, concentric with the sleeve 52 is provided with a flange 51, the sleeve 56 being retained in position by means of a nut 58. It is intended that the sleeve 56 shall be free to rotate on the sleeve 52, whereby the uneven distribution of the clothes will cause the plunger to rotate during the washing operation.

The arms I4, which are preferably integral, are provided with a central hollow hub 54 having an aperture 59 larger in diameter than the sleeve 56. When the parts are assembled, a ring SI of rubber or any other suitable resilient material,

is confined between the top of the hub 55 and the flange 51, and a similar ring is confined between the lower portion of the flange and a retaining ring 65 which is secured to the arms I4 by means of screws 62. V

When the washing elements are reciprocated, the non-rigid or universal connection between the plunger and the arms I4 allows a certain amount of play and rotation between these members whereby the plunger II is relieved of bending and torsional stresses. Such bending and torsional stresses may be occasioned if the washingelements I3 are brought into contact or removed from contact with the clothes-when the clothes are unevenly distributed in the vat. It will be apparent that the resilient rings 6| will permit a slight tipping movement or universal action of the clothes washing elements out of their normal plane and that the sleeves 52 and 5 56 permit the arms I4 and the clothes washing elements to be rotated with respect to the plunger II.

In Figures '7, 8 and 9, I have shown a construction for rotating the plunger II while it is re- 19 ciprocated. Although I have shown only one spring similar to the spring 44, it will be apparent that a spring both above and below the trunnion 39 might be used. In this construction, the end of the operating element 21 is 1 forked to provide lugs 64 and 66. A clutch plate 61 is secured to the plunger by means of a pin 68, and a clutch collar 69 is freely rotatable on the plunger II and lies beneath the clutch plate 61. 20

A clutch surface II of any suitable material, is confined between the clutch plate 61 and the clutch collar 69, while the spring 44 is retained in position in a similar manner to that described in connection with Figure 5. When the operat- 2;; ing lever 21 is. moved upwardly, the lug 66 engages a depending lug 12 on the clutch collar 69. The weight of the clothes washing elements I3, the arms I4 and the plunger I I, and the tension of the spring 44 causes clutching engagement between the clutch elements 61 and H whereby at substantially the upward limit of the movement of the plunger I I, after the washing elements have been removed from the washing fluid, the plunger is caused to rotate slightly. When the operating lever 21 is forced downwardly, the downward force of the trunnion 39 is transmitted to. the plunger I I through the spring 44, and considerable of the shock of impact of the washing elements I3 with the clothes is removed from the driving mechanism. Upon compression of the spring 44, the clutch surface 1I drops away from the clutch plate 61 so that at the bottom of the downward movement of the operating element 21, when the lug 64 contacts with the depending lug 12, the clutch collar 69 is rotated and restored to its former position without rotating the plunger II.

When a frictional means of rotating the plunger is provided the nut 58 may be drawn tightly so that there will be no rotation of the sleeve 56 on the collar 52 or the two sleeves may be made integral. It will be apparent that when this frictional means of rotating the plunger is provided the resilient rings will remove both torsional and bending stresses from the shaft and will also prevent injury to the washing elements and their supporting arms. 7

It is apparent that various changes and modio fications of my invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, and I do not desire to restrict myself to the exact size, shape or relation of parts, as various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim;

1-. In a clothes washing machine, a plunger rod, a clothes washing vat into which said plunger rod projects, clothes washing means in said vat secured to said plunger rod and reciprocable 70 therewith, means for reciprocating said plunger rod, spring means for absorbing the shocks of the clothes washing operation, and a yielding connection slightly universal in its action between said clothes washing means and said plunger rod for 16 absorbing the bending stresses on said plunger rod.

2. In a clothes washing machine, a plunger rod, a clothes washing vat into which said plunger rod projects, clothes washing means in said vat secured to said plunger rod and reciprocable therewith, means for reciprocating said plunger rod, spring means for absorbing the shock of im- .pact of 'said clothes washing means with the water and clothes in said vat, and a yielding connection slightly universal in its action between said clothes washing means and said plunger rod for relieving said plunger rod of bending stresses during the clothes washing operation.

3. In a clothes washing machine, a reciprocable plunger rod, a clothes washing vat into which said plunger rod projects, clothes washing means in said vat, means for reciprocating said plunger rod comprising a trunnion freely floating on said plunger rod, a power-driven arm operatively secured to said trunnion, spring means on opposite sides of said trunnion through which the movement of said trunnion is transmitted to said plunger rod, and means between said clothes washing means and said plunger rod for absorbing bending stresses on said plunger rod.

4. In a power-driven mechanism for a clothes washing machine, a plunger rod, a reciprocable trunnion member freely rotatable on said plunger rod, means for reciprocating said trunnion member, means for transmitting the upward movement of said trunnion member to said plunger rod, means for rotating said plunger rod through the upward movement of said trunnion member, and resilient means through which the downward movement of said trunnion is transmitted to said plunger rod.

5. In a clothes washing machine, a reciprocable plunger rod, clothes washing means, a yielding connection slightly universal in action between said clothes washing means and said plunger rod comprising a flanged sleeve, flanges on said clothes washing means, and resilient means between the flange on the sleeve and the flanges on the clothes washing means for absorbing shocks during the clothes washing operation.

6. In a clothes washing machine, a reciprocable plunger rod, clothes washing means, a universal connection for coupling said clothes washing means to said plunger rod, means for reciprocating said plunger rod including a trunnion member freely rotatable on saidrod, means for rotating said plunger rod comprising a clutch positioned on said rod above and adjacent said trunnion member and spring means positioned below said trunnion member through which the downward movement applied to said plunger rod is transmitted, said spring means also serving during the upward movement of said plunger rod to retain said clutch in operative condition.

7. In a clothes washing machine, a reciprocal plunger rod, clothes washing means, a flexible connection slightly universal in action for releasably coupling said clothes washing means to said plunger rod comprising a flanged sleeve removably secured to said plunger rod, a resilient bushing surrounding said flange and said sleeve, and means for seeming said bushing to said clothes washing means.

8. In a clothes washing machine, a clothes washing vat, a reciprocal plunger rod extending into said vat, clothes washing means in said vat, a universal connection for removably coupling said clothes washing means to said rod, means for reciprocating said plunger rod including a trunnion member freely rotatable on said rod, spring means secured to said rod positioned below and adjacent said trunnion member through which the downward movement of said trunnion member is transmitted to said rod, and clutch means positioned on said rod above said trunnion member for rotating said rod, said spring means also serving to retain said clutch in operative condition during the upward movement of said rod.

9. In a clothes washing machine, a vat, a reciprocable plunger rod, guide means surrounding said rod disposed vertically through the bottom of said vat, means for reciprocating said rod, clothes washing means and means for operably coupling said clothes washing means to said rod enabling a slight universal action or said clothes washing means with respect to said plunger rod.

10. In a clothes washing machine, a vat, a reciprocable plunger rod, guide means surrounding said rod disposed vertically through the bottom of said vat, means for reciprocating said rod, a plurality of clothes washing elements operably connected to said plunger rod and normally reciprocable with said rod in a horizontal plane, said clothes washing elements being flexibly connected to said rod adapting said elements to tilt out of said normal plane to relieve said rod oi bending stresses.

11. In a clothes washing machine, a vat, a reciprocable plunger rod, guide means surrounding said rod disposed vertically through the bottom of said vat, means for reciprocating said rod, a plurality of clothes washing elements and a universal connection between said clothes washing elements and said plunger rod.

12. In a clothes washing machine, a vat, a reciprocable plunger rod, guide means surrounding said rod disposed vertically through the bottom of said vat, means for reciprocating said rod, clothes washing means and a flexible connection slightly universal in action for coupling said clothes washing means to said plunger rod.

P. EDUARD GELDHOF. 

